The problem is, if you buff the maxim you get maxim spam.
How about this? Merge changed to not reinforce, but to give a weapons buff to the target squad.
Maxims: +20 ~ % suppression
AT guns and mortars:-15 ~ % reload
An example of how this could be used:
-Before an attack, merge your cons with your mortar so it fires faster & forces the machine gun to reposition quicker, then urrah in.
-Before a Defense, merge you cons with your MG so that it suppresses faster, or your AT gun to kill his tanks faster.
This would also help negate the Zis’ bad reload compared to other at guns and the Sov mortar’s bad ROF compared to other mortars.
It would probably also need a debuff added to the cons to stop it from being a no-brainer
That's why I want a price increase as well, to prevent spam. Being cheap add shitty mean that unless you spam it it is without value.
I realize that maxim spam is a risk, but even at sary 300mp, it wouldn't transition like penal spam would because it SAS no AT capacity. Build too many maxims and you have no mp for your guards or zis and if you need mote AT you need another 32+mp unit, you can't just convert your existing units as needed. Conscripts would add a b it more flexibility of course, but that's a good thing!
Let's say we implemented my changes with a cost increase to 300
That means 2 maxims plus the building is 760mp. That's 3 squads from both enemy factions. 3 squads will definitely out perform 2 mgs plus the Soviet will have no map control.
Thte Soviet will save to mix in cons jusr to get territory and make sure that when the time comes they can get AT.
Of course ideally cons will get a cost reduction to make this work a bit better but ultimately the maxim would be useful and cons would find a home as bodies to be around. You will, no matter how you decide to play always have an expensive but limited strong unit, be that penals, "guards, shocks or maxims, and a needv to make up ground somehow--conscripts.
I see no reason for this to not work in theory. I think as a direction it is at the very least worth playtesting some how just to see how it feels.